The present disclosure relates generally to a caller identification device, and particularly to a caller identification device for use on a digital cellular telephone system.
A cellular telephone system (CTS) provides mobile telephone service by employing a network of cell sites distributed over a wide area, with each cell site typically functioning to manage, send, and receive traffic from the mobiles in its geographical area to a cellular telephone switch. The cell site tower closest to the active mobile unit is typically the priority communication tower, with the cellular telephone system controlling how communication passes from one cell site to the next as the mobile unit crosses cell site boundaries. Voice communication with a mobile cellular telephone is achieved by first connecting with a data channel and then by connecting with a voice channel once a call is answered, which enables high traffic voice data channels to be reserved only for those calls that are received and answered by the cellular phone. Upon receipt of a page from the CTS, the cellphone reads the data channel content and replies with its location. The CTS then attempts to connect the cellphone with a voice channel for voice communication. If the cellphone answers the call, the voice channel connection is made and the call goes through. If the cellphone does not answer, the call is terminated. However, with either a successful or an unsuccessful call, the identification of the caller is available to the cellphone since that information is present in the data signal of the data channel or alternately via the voice channel. Thus, the identification of a caller to a cellphone user may be obtained from either a successful or an unsuccessful call. In taking advantage of this feature, some prepaid cellphone users use the cellphones as pagers, thereby enabling them to identify the caller without answering the call and to return the call using a lower cost landline phone system. Using a cellphone in this manner is costly to both the user and the cellphone service provider. The cellphone user must bear the cost of acquiring a highly functional cellphone that they do not use for all of its functionality, and the cellphone service provider must bear the acquisition cost associated with fully functional devices and maintenance costs associated with a cellular telephone system that is not receiving adequate compensation from the pager cellphone users. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a device that is beneficial to both the pager cellphone user and the cellphone service provider.